Network Programming
Java Sockets
Programming
(Low-Level Networking)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets
A socket is a construct that represents
one end-point of a two-way
communication channel between two
programs running on the network.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets (cont)
Using sockets, the OS provides
processes a file-like access to the
channel.
– i.e., sockets are allocated a file descriptor, and
processes can access (read/write) the socket by
specifying that descriptor
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets (cont)
A specific socket is identified by the
machine's IP and a port within that
machine.
A socket stores the IP and port
number of the other end-point
computer of the channel.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets (cont)
Sockets can be used with both the TCP
and the UDP transport layer protocols.
When writing to a socket, the written
bytes are sent to the other computer and
port (e.g., over TCP/IP or UDP).
– That is, remote IP and port are
attached to the packets.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets (cont)
When OS receives packets on the
network, it uses their destination port
to decide which socket should get the
received bytes.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets (cont)
Sockets can:
1. Connect to a remote machine
2. Send data
3. Receive data
4. Close a connection
5. Bind to a port
6. Listen for incoming connection
7. Accept connections from remote
machines on a bound port
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Java Sockets Programming
(Low-Level Networking)
The package java.net provides support
for sockets programming (and more).
• Typically you import everything
defined in this package with:
import java.net.*;
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Java Sockets Programming
(Low-Level Networking)
The package java.net provides support
for sockets programming (and more).
• Typically you import everything
defined in this package with:
import java.net.*;
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Classes
InetAddress
Socket
ServerSocket
DatagramSocket
DatagramPacket
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket class
Corresponds to active TCP sockets only!
– client sockets
– socket returned by accept();
Passive sockets are supported by a
different class:
– ServerSocket
UDP sockets are supported by
– DatagramSocket
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
The Java Socket Class
The Socket class supports the
1. Connect to a remote machine [socket = new
Socket(…)]
2. Send data [socket.write()]
3. Receive data [socket.read()]
4. Close a connection [socket.close()]
– Normally a socket is encapsulated in a
InputStream class or a Reader class.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
The Java ServerSocket Class
The ServerSocket class additionally
supports the
5. Bind to a port
[server_socket.bind()]
6. Listen for incoming connection
[server_socket.listen()]
7. Accept connections from remote
machines on a bound port
[server_socket.accept()]
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
JAVA TCP Sockets
java.net.Socket
– Implements client sockets (also called just
“sockets”).
– An endpoint for communication between two
machines.
– Constructor and Methods
• Socket(String host, int port): Creates a stream socket
and connects it to the specified port number on the
named host.
• InputStream getInputStream()
• OutputStream getOutputStream()
• close()
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
JAVA TCP Sockets
java.net.ServerSocket
– Implements server sockets.
– Waits for requests to come in over the network.
– Performs some operation based on the request.
– Constructor and Methods
• ServerSocket(int port)
• Socket Accept(): Listens for a connection to be made to
this socket and accepts it. This method blocks until a
connection is made.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Sockets
Client socket, welcoming socket (passive) and connection socket (active)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket Constructors
Constructor creates a TCP connection to a
named TCP server.
– There are a number of constructors:
Socket(InetAddress server, int port);
Socket(InetAddress server, int port,
InetAddress local, int localport);
Socket(String hostname, int port);
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket Methods
void close();
InetAddress getInetAddress();
InetAddress getLocalAddress();
InputStream getInputStream();
OutputStream getOutputStream();
Lots more (setting/getting socket
options, partial close, etc.)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket I/O
Socket I/O is based on the Java I/O
support
– in the package java.io
InputStream and OutputStream are
abstract classes
– common operations defined for all kinds
of InputStreams, OutputStreams…
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
ServerSocket Class
(TCP Passive Socket)
Constructors:
ServerSocket(int port);
ServerSocket(int port, int
backlog);
ServerSocket(int port, int
backlog,InetAddress bindAddr);
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
ServerSocket Methods
Socket accept();
void close();
InetAddress getInetAddress();
int getLocalPort();
throw IOException, SecurityException
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket programming with TCP
Example client-server app:
client reads line from standard
input (inFromUser stream) ,
sends to server via socket
(outToServer stream)
server reads line from socket
server converts line to uppercase,
sends back to client
client reads, prints modified line
from socket (inFromServer
stream)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Client/server socket interaction:
TCP
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
TCPClient.java
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
TCPClient.java cont.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
TCPServer.java
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
TCPServer.java cont.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
UDP Sockets
DatagramSocket class.
DatagramPacket class needed to
specify the payload.
• incoming or outgoing
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket Programming with UDP
UDP
– Connectionless and unreliable service.
– There isn’t an initial handshaking phase.
– Doesn’t have a pipe.
– transmitted data may be received out of
order, or lost
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket Programming with UDP
(cont.)
Socket Programming with UDP
– No need for a welcoming socket.
– No streams are attached to the sockets.
– the sending hosts creates “packets” by attaching the
IP destination address and port number to each batch
of bytes.
– The receiving process must unravel to received
packet to obtain the packet’s information bytes.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
JAVA UDP Sockets
In Package java.net
– java.net.DatagramSocket
• A socket for sending and receiving datagram
packets.
• Constructor and Methods
DatagramSocket(int port): Constructs a datagram socket
and binds it to the specified port on the local host
machine.
void receive( DatagramPacket p)
void send( DatagramPacket p)
void close()
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
DatagramSocket Constructors
DatagramSocket();
DatagramSocket(int port);
DatagramSocket(int port,
InetAddress a);
– All can throw SocketException or
SecurityException
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Datagram Methods
void connect(InetAddress a, int
port);
void close();
void receive(DatagramPacket p);
void send(DatagramPacket p);
Lots more!
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Datagram Packet
Contain the payload.
– (a byte array).
Can also be used to specify the
destination address.
– when not using connected mode UDP.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
DatagramPacket Constructors
For receiving:
DatagramPacket( byte[] buf, int len);
For sending:
DatagramPacket( byte[] buf, int len,
InetAddress a, int port);
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
DatagramPacket methods
byte[] getData(); (Returns the data
buffer).
void setData(byte[] buf); (Set the
data buffer for this packet).
void setAddress(InetAddress a);
(Sets the IP address of the machine to which
this datagram is being sent.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
DatagramPacket methods
void setPort(int port); Sets the port
number on the remote host to which this datagram is
being sent.
InetAddress getAddress(); Returns the
IP address of the machine to which this datagram is
being sent or from which the datagram was received.
int getPort(); Returns the port number on
the remote host to which this datagram is being sent
or from which the datagram was received.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Example: Java client (UDP)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Client/server socket interaction:
UDP
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
UDPClient.java
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
UDPClient.java
cont.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
UDPServer.java
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
UDPServer.java
cont.
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
Socket functional calls
socket (): Create a socket
bind(): bind a socket to a local IP address and port #
listen(): passively waiting for connections
connect(): initiating connection to another socket
accept(): accept a new connection
Write(): write data to a socket
Read(): read data from a socket
sendto(): send a datagram to another UDP socket
recvfrom(): read a datagram from a UDP socket
close(): close a socket (tear down the connection)
Network Programming
May Zakarneh
